Salary
One of the expectations we have when we start work is that over time our salary will increase. It used to be that salary was based on tenure and that every year we got an increase. More recently, salary increases have been based on experience, but there were still an expectation that salaries would rise. Over the years working with people looking for new roles, I have never met anyone who said they would be content on less. When I started as a recruiter they always wanted more, and then in more recent times, at least a level move.
A recent salary survey by IndustryWeek suggests even this isn't realistic any more. Salaries no longer stay level during downturns, but are actually reducing. It would be easy to dismiss this survey as a product of the economic downturn or being confined to the manufacturing industry.
But what if it isn't? What if it is the leading edge of a change: first there was salary tied to tenure, then there was salary tied to experience, and now there is salary tied to the market and market value. How does that change our expectations, and our actions? Even if it is not the leading edge of a change, then changing our expectations and our actions to embrace it as a reality might make us better off overall anyway. And if it is, we'll survive the change more easily.
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/industryweeks_2010_salary_survey_do...
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Salary
OK - so I did it... I did it and so far, so good. I've been a member since M-tools started... and have paid close attention to advice and dialog about changing jobs... podcasts regarding job change of industry and during an economic down-turn have been of particular interest (and I took advice regarding "stay put" very seriously). Anyway, here was my situation, and I felt I would share... I'd greatly appreciate any comments or feedback as well.
I was at a company for over 13 years, and had had much success there over the years. It is a very closely held private company with a stellar reputation in the industry. One of the reasons for this was a very involved Chariman who molded and directed the growth, strategy, and ethics of the company over the past 5 decades. As the Chariman ages, top executives were brought in and there has been a lot of turn-over and redirection of the company. I still loved working there and loved the comany (yes, love is the correct term). But as executive turnover and continual redirection and reprioritization took place, along and throughout the down-turn and lay-offs... my opinion of staying there changed. Opportunity in particular was squelched for me as jobs went out-of-state and off-shore. I was left as one of the few technical managers in the "big city" with few direct reports and pressure to become a matrixed project manager doing agile projects with people out-of-state and in Bangalore for clients that may be anywhere and under an ever-changing strategic direction situation. The pressure was unreal... working 50 to 60 hour weeks just to stay in place with no opportunity... thus I began looking elsewhere for opportunities. Casually networking, occasionally applying to opportunities via monster & dice postings, etc.
An opportunity doing the same techinical manager/lead IT work came up via a casual phone call with a former colleague. It was a project manager type role (similar) and growth of the project and strategic adoption of it as the future of the organization was clear.
I weighed the options: stay and wait-out the corporate churning and fates with the anticipated ability to continue to leverage my solid reputation and tenure under hopes there would be no further lay-offs (I had survived 2 significant ones)... or... leave and take an opportunity of a position doing basically the same sort of thing in a different industry (one more stable I believe) with less salary but with an opportunity to learn new things and gain other/newer contacts and experiences.
I chose to leave... and am going into week 4 of my new job/position... so far, so good as I said... and I feel I made the right choice for me and my future. It may have been more of a strategic choice than anything else, I was particular concerned about being at the same organization for so long as I approach my 50's... and wanted to get fresher experience and exposure. I am happy with my decision, although it clearly is tough and challenging to make such a change.
For others considering such a jump, the lesser salary of a situation may not (and I feel should not) be a huge driving factor. I'm making 15% less... but have less stress and hopefully a more flexible and brighter future. Time will tell....
Hi Swiming
I'm glad it worked out for you! In my experience, different people have different rhythms to their career - but the moment you're not learning and growing is the time to find something else - and money doesn't come into that equation.
I hope it continues to go well for you,
Wendii